Last week, Universal Studios Orlando raised its basic ticket to $88, and Disney World has now responded in kind by raising the cost of a one-day single-park pass to $89 for adults. Kids between 3 and 9 years old don’t get much of a price break — tickets for them are now $83.

Those prices have jumped 70 percent in the past decade alone, and they don’t even include the cost of parking, food or souvenirs. So why are costs continuing to climb even when the economy is taking such a beating?

Analysts call it a twisted sort of “crowd control.” By keeping out people who balk at the higher admission prices, the park then attracts individuals and families with lots of disposable cash — the same folks who don’t blink at spending top dollar on hotels, amusements and other amenities.